Mutator action by Escherichia coli strains carrying dnaE mutations

Several newly isolated temperature-sensitive dnaE mutants of Escherichia coli exhibit powerful mutagenic action at permissive temperatures. Mutation rates for the two most active mutants were assayed at four different temperatures and compared to wild-type behavior. Temperature-resistant revertants of the original temperature-sensitive dnaE mutants exhibited lower, nearly normal, mutation rates, but no antimutator strains were found.